The Darker Side of the Moon
by TeiEX Thyferra
Summary: In the midst of discovering their emotions towards each other, Katara and Aang unlock their darker natures and struggle to control them. As a result, secrets are revealed and passion is finally released. An epilogue to the Season 2 finale. [Kataang]
1. Chapter 1 Part 1

_Greetings! I'm TeiEX Thyferra (aka ChiEkku), a die-hard Kataang fan. Don't worry about mangling the pronunciation; it is a weird penname, I know._

_This is my first attempt at a Katara and Aang love story, my first lengthy writing of any sorts actually, so I hope you like it. I started it about a year ago, but hadn't the time or motivation to finish it due to school and other constraints. Now, being the middle of summer, I decided to take back it back up. I'm assuming you are all familiar with Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. Just a warning, it is strongly recommended you have seen all of the episodes before reading. If you have not, you will be spoiled and/or confused._

_**Premise:** This is a tragic story which explores the depth of Katara and Aang's feelings for each other, and, in the process, the darker sides of their nature that are exposed when provoked. It takes place following the conclusion of the Season 2 finale, presenting an alternate timeline to the one Nickelodeon will release. Since it is a tradegy, it is sad by nature, but there is plenty of fluff in the mix to tug at your heart._

_While much of this story is suitable for all ages, a few parts are not. Therefore, I unfortunately must rate it as follows. I would still encourage everyone to read it, though. Please review the rating below. _

_**Rated T** for instances of:_

_- Romance (in some cases above the "all ages" level; I'll let your mind wander on that) _

_- Dramatic/Angst fight scenes (may contain descriptions of blood, dismemberment, animal death, etc) _

_- A few situations perhaps inappropriate for little kids (Minor suggestive content) _

_- Main Character Death (Speaks for itself )_

_- Mild Language (Speaks for itself )_

_Please read and review; I'd be eager to hear what you have to say about my writing, since this is my first story._

_So, without further ado, I present you with the pilot episode of __**The Darker Side of the Moon. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Aang, Katara, and all other related Avatar characters are copyright material of Viacom Inc. The following script, however, is property of the author, including all plotlines and characters introduced. Any similarities between the following fiction and any other are purely coincidental. _

_May Katara and Aang's friendship mature into love that knows no bounds _

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Part 1 **

_

* * *

_

_A broken spirit is alone,_

_Abandoned, unaided, deserted, and forlorn_

_It hungers for attention, for affection, for compassion._

_When it sees another in pain, it finds a new friend,_

_When asked to give, it provides without question,_

_When stricken with grief, it shells up and hides, _

_When rejected, again and again, it doubts…_

_It hates…_

_It weeps…_

_It dies…_

_A broken spirit is alone,_

_And all it wants_

_Is love_

_From_

_One._

_-- ChiEkku_

* * *

Weeks had passed since Aang encountered Azula and Zuko at Ba Sing Se. They traveled hundreds of miles away from the now conquered citadel, hoping to escape from the ever-expanding fire nation into what little was left of the free world. At some point, though, they knew a confrontation was inevitable…such a terrifying thought to the four. 

The Earth King and Bosco, much to the dismay of the others, had taken their leave from their group, choosing to stay temporarily at a military base (the one they had run across not too long ago) to try and come up with a plan for retaking his city. He wished them luck on their journey before he debarked, but it wasn't the usual "Save the world, please" request they usually heard. It struck Aang more so than the rest of the group, why of which he later discovered. He asked Aang to make sure he never lost sight of his ambitions and desires, warning him that if he should ever set them aside for a minute, he would never accomplished them. Of course, the Earth King was referring to saving the world; however, Aang interpreted it differently. He could only stutter he would do his best, before the two acquaintances vanished into the rocky fortress and were never seen again.

But Aang wasn't the only one affected by the king's rather surprising words. The moment he left their presence, Aang, as well as another, began thinking…

_Ambitions…_

Returning to his seat on Appa's head, Aang sat motionless for a minute, deep in thought it seemed.

_Desires…_

These words triggered something in Aang, something hidden inside, something he attempted to bury long ago and tried to forget many times…but it always came back. He was afraid to think about it; it always left him feeling depressed and defeated. What made matters worse, Aang knew he could not talk to anyone about it but himself. Lastly, and perhaps most troubling to him, he felt sure there was no way in Heaven or on earth it was possible, yet it emotionally drained him like a leech. However, another, not just he, sat pondering the meaning of these cryptic words…another sat deep in thought as well, eyeing Aang every second he lay still.

Aang stretched his neck after a long few minutes, looking back at the group; the other three questioned him with odd looks as to why they hadn't left yet. Appa had already attracted a few standers-by, but Aang didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, you okay?"

_Such a soothing voice… _

"Aang?"

He shook his head, snapping back into reality.

"Sorry, I was just thinking…about something."

"Well, you can think about it while we're in the air," Sokka prodded, "it's getting late, we should hit the road."

Aang sadly left his fantasy to grab Appa's reigns; within minutes, the group of four were soaring thousands of feet in the air, embracing the winds, speeding towards the setting sun. Hours passed in minutes; time seemed to warp and hold no shape. Aang, despite the sun having set, felt no desire to sleep. He didn't feel like doing anything…not until this conflict inside him was resolved.

But he was saddened because it never would be.

A warm hand on his shoulder, and he knew who was there…he could tell who it was by her touch alone.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…"

She knew he was not okay.

"Alright, if you're sure…"

But she didn't give up. Aang felt himself being drawn closer to her body, his head drawn to rest upon her warm chest. Her arms wrapped gently around him, and Aang felt his cheeks flush. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore it, but failed. Her wavy, chestnut hair shrouded his face in lavender scent, brushing his skin like a thousand down feathers. There was no other place he desired to be at then as close to her as he was then. He couldn't help but nestle himself deeper and hold her tightly, drowning in his own emotions, his feelings…his _desires…_

Katara smiled, rubbing his head, humming to Aang as he fell asleep in her arms.

* * *

For weeks they flew aimlessly. There was no destination, no plan, they didn't even know where they were. Sokka, in his laziness, forgot to check their map one day, until they discovered they had not arrived at where they intended to land. Sokka made note of wanting to stop on Whale Tail Island while they were in the South, a place they learned about while in Ba Sing Se. It turned out to be a common resting place for weary travelers, boasting a wide assortment of restaurants, villas, and markets. Food, of course, drove Sokka initially. Unfortunately for him, and consequently everyone else, they never laid eyes on Whale Tail Island. The days following crawled by without sight of it, with nothing but ocean and ice for as far as the eye could see. The frigid wind licked the faces of Aang and his companions as they jadedly scanned the icescape, what little there was. Well, everyone, that was, except Sokka.

"I'm not one to complain," he groaned, "but when was the last time we landed again? Last year?"

"Shut up!" everyone shouted in unison.

Toph kicked Sokka, in an angry, yet semi-playful manner, "It's your fault to begin with, you know…"

Sokka looked ahead at rigid Aang, who neither moved nor spoke, nor had he the entire day. Aang awoke the preceding morning in a fright, sweat dripping from his forehead. Lurching out of bed, he refused to tell anyone why he jumped so, least of all speak; he experienced a troubling dream of sorts, everyone figured that out. But what? And why was he keeping it secret? Aang had rushed to Appa's reigns and steered him straight south without any word to anyone. His eyes looked tired yet worried at the same time, as if there were some life-threatening reason behind his actions. When asked where he was taking them, the group received no reply from Aang…and now he continued stare at the horizon in silence, not even for an instant turning his gaze away from due south. Sokka scratched his half-shaven head; he was beginning to think Aang was hallucinating, perhaps even losing his mind. He knew that being the Avatar could be stressful, but Aang was acting very strangely this day. Sokka was getting sick of all this Avatar nonsense that was dragging them all over the world. But Aang was his friend, and he had to trust him; what else could he do?

Everyone was getting on each others nerves, even Appa groaned at the ensuing argument that continued behind him. Well, you would be annoyed too if you only had a few feet to stretch your legs in for ten hours, and every conversation lead to the complaints of travel. Even though Appa was a ten-ton flying bison, there wasn't much room on his back.

"Aang," asked Katara, trying one last time, "what are we searching for?"

The young water bender, fourteen years of age, brushed her bronze hair from her face, her azure eyes longing to meet his amber ones.

"Give it a rest, Sugar Queen" Toph replied bitterly.

Shifting herself into yet another restless position, the twelve year old earth bending girl sighed, so tire of flying. She wanted to get down to earth where she could see better, and it was tiresome to listen to Sokka complain.

She disregarded the insult, however. "Oh, that's helpful."

"Aang, seriously…" Sokka chimed in, "I still don't get what's going on with you. I mean this morning you just got out of bed and…"

"I don't want to talk about it." Aang said, his voice downcast.

He had finally spoken after the entire day passed in nothing but silence. And now, the group was left silent, ironically. Sokka, despite his slight joy at Aang finding his voice again, continued on his little rant. "Well I think we do, I mean, how hard is it to…"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

Aang's sharp comment silenced Sokka, causing him to look queerly at Aang. He turned his attention back to the horizon for a brief moment before looking at Katara, both perplexed. Aang was known to get emotional over certain things …but what was this all about? And why? Katara silently and calmly approached Aang, kneeling down beside to him. He looked miserable, but there was no motive for it; she didn't understand. At the touch of her hand on his shoulder, Aang's grip on Appa's reigns loosened.

"Aang, please…what's wrong?"

"I-I'm fine…"

His voice struggled to sound at ease, but Katara heard through his mild deception. She replied to him in a soothing voice, "Aang, you know you can tell me anything."

_I wish I could… _

"Aang" Katara asked, wanting to help him, "what one thing could be troubling you so much?"

Not one thing, but many things tore Aang apart on the inside. He wasn't sure if she could hear his secret, a secret which slowly numbed and paralyzed his mind, teasing and taunting him as the days crept slowly by. It constantly irritated him; never was there a moment where it left his mind. Had she known how he felt at this moment, Katara would have perhaps understood why he struggled to tell her so; yet, Katara sat in silence, wondering why he hid his emotions behind a wall, oblivious to the airbender's feelings towards her.

_Why doesn't he want to talk to me? Was it something I said? He looks so sad…but why? What could possibly be bothering him so much?_

Katara persisted, resting her other hand gently on Aang's. "Please, talk to me," she asked in a pitying voice.

Aang turned to her, gazing into her deep, caring, sapphire eyes. They begged Aang to tell her, they pleaded to reveal what he hid from her for so long, to trust in her counsel…but he could not. Aang opened his mouth to say something, only to throw it away; his mind filled with doubt. Choked with misery, Aang turned away from Katara.

"I don't want to talk about it." Aang said for the final time, his voice failing to keep a calm tone.

Katara, seeing she could not persuade him, removed her hands and shifted away from her friend. "Okay…I understand. I won't ask anymore."

Katara stayed by his side; she discovered quickly that Aang enjoyed her company. _Why doesn't he want to talk to me?_ The same question ran over and over in her head to the point where she felt lost herself. A long and awkward silence followed; she eyed the young Avatar intently, looking for some sign that could clue her in. And then, suddenly, Katara thought she spied a tear running from Aang's cheek. He blinked and the tear fell, landing silently on Appa's fur. Katara felt herself tear up as well; she pitied Aang so…having to carry the world on his shoulders without support or praise from anyone but his few friends, and even they sometimes teased him when they shouldn't. She wanted to reach out and hug him, hold him, anything that would calm his spirit. Katara slowly reached out her hand once more…

"You know, the sun's been on the horizon for a good hour now," Sokka commented, yawning, "and I'm barely able to keep my eyes open."

…but sadly and slowly took it back and rested it in her lap, clutching it tightly with her other. She bit her lip in frustration…trying to hold back her own tears.

_Why…?_

"Yeah," Aang sighed gloomily, "I'll take us down."

Aang knew this, turning his face in the direction of the sun, amber in color like the autumn leaves. He squinted, putting his hand up to block the glare. It was sundown, the giant orange of a sun growing larger as it touched the water. Aang reigned in Appa, and led him down to the nearest form of ice resembling land, only a few thousand feet away. With a giant thud and grunt, the white giant fell asleep on the spot. Finally, some leg room. No one wasted any time leaving the saddle to stretch their legs; Toph, though, was a little uneasy about getting off.

"C'mon, Toph, it's just a little ice." Sokka encouraged, "Here, I'll help you down."

"Thanks, I can man-AAAGGHHHH!!" Toph started her descent only to miss her step and fall of Appa's saddle squealing into Sokka's arms.

"You ok?" Sokka asked with concern.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok…" she blushed, "You…you can put me down now."

Sokka gently stood his friend on the ice, Toph testing the slick ground with her toes before taking her first step. Wobbling on her feet, she managed to maneuver around without too much difficulty, but she still didn't like the lack of earth.

"Well, this isn't too bad," she said in surprise, "I thought it would be a lot harder to…"

She spoke a little too soon and slipped, falling down onto her back. As she griped, Sokka burst out into laughter, but helped her back up to her feet, and steadily guided her to the area where Katara had begun to set up the tents. Everyone pitched in with the setting up of camp, except Toph of course. Within a few minutes, the campsite had been constructed, but Sokka, once again, decided to pick a fight.

"You're kidding, right? There's no way it's going to rain up here!"

"Down here…" Katara corrected, "Sokka, it could snow, and you'll be sorry when…"

"Look, there are two tents. If you want to set up the tarp, then do it on _yours._ It's cold and I want a blanket!"

Katara rolled her eyes, giggling to herself at what a child her brother could be sometimes. But they had lost most of their blankets with the old saddle, so she let it slide.

Food and eating were of low priority at the moment, even Sokka wanted to get in bed that moment. Bidding each other a good night, Katara and Toph climbed into their tent, and Aang and Sokka into theirs. The four friends all found it quite easy to fall asleep, despite the solid ice which lay beneath them; it was an uncomfortable place to bed down for the night, but the monotonous whisper of the wind and waves soothed everyone's minds, allowing them to forget the troublesome day, and the troublesome ground. Like lullaby music, the ambience lulling them to sleep, and for the first time in a long while their minds were at peace.

…everyone, of course, except Aang.

_What's wrong with me? Why can't I stop thinking about her?_

He lay awake in the tent for hours on end, unable to sleep. Katara's sweet face plagued his mind; vivid, colorful images of her appeared and vanished, some of which Aang wished he hadn't imagined. Like a virus it infected him, Aang growing sick as he could not wipe her from his mind. Such a dilemma for him: caught between what he knew was his duty, and who he cared greatly. His relationship with Katara tormented him, it tempted him, it mocked him; she was his friend, yet more than so. When practicing water bending together, he could not prevent himself from focusing on her rather than bending. It wasn't because she was wearing less clothing (although perhaps a little), just…her; he couldn't stop looking at her face, her eyes, and her smile. Katara was so sweet, so gentle, and so loving towards him, like a mother and a lover in one being. She treated him as her equal, rather than a child younger than her, straight from the beginning. Aang trusted her above all, seeing her as the only one who could feel his pain of having to be the Avatar. He wanted nothing more than the opportunity to share more than words with her…he wanted to make her happy in the best way he could muster from his imagination.

Katara was beautiful, both inner and outer, and Aang considered her to be…perfect.

Weary and bewildered, Aang dragged himself out of bed and exited the tent, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun barely rising in the east; Aang had stayed awake all night. He walked aimlessly, without intent of going anywhere; he didn't care. He wandered for a long time before finding the edge of the plateau of ice; he sat down on the slick edge, letting his legs dangle in mid-air, resting his weary chin on his chilled hands. Gazing out across the valley before him, Aang sighed and rubbed his eyes; his tears froze on his cheek as he accepted the painful reality he would never be able to share his love with Katara.

* * *

_Man…sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is._

_Wait…what did you just say?_

_Nothing, just that Aang is one powerful bender._

…_I…suppose he is_

* * *

Katara awoke from her dream with a start; faintly she could hear the sound of something crunching in the snow. With a yawn and stretch of her arms, Katara rubbed her heavy eyes and left the warm confines of her sleeping bag. She subtly, as to not awaken Toph, peeked out of the tent to see Aang wandering off, dragging his feet as he went.

_Where is he going?_

Katara quietly exited the tent and followed Aang from a distance. She matched her footsteps to his, trying her best to shorten the distance between them. She prayed and hoped that in the course of following him, they could discuss the reason for and find a solution for his anguish; she couldn't stand the idea of Aang falling into misery. She thought he had suffered enough pain; a boy, rejected from his own kind, forced to run away from home and take on the burden of becoming the Avatar, man's last chance. It astounded her he had remained strong for so long…but now it seemed his vigor faded, and his resolve weakened. As she watched him trudging up the hill slowly, the memory of her dream returned. The way he stood alone then, it reminded her of when he stood alone in the midst of a blazing hillside, among falling ashes and burning trees…it reminded her of what her friend once predicted.

_Why do I keep dreaming about that day? Why him?_

Katara knew all too well she liked her zealous friend a lot, but she never thought much about it. Only now did she start to analyze her feelings deeper. She questioned why she avoided thinking about it before. _Do I…like him? _Time, however, kept her from mulling over it, as it had in the past. She stood still now as well, having followed Aang to the plateau's edge without him noticing. She stood only a few feet behind him, and as he rubbed his cheek, he suddenly realizing Katara was in his presence.

"Hey, Katara."

She noted the sorrow in his voice; it sounded as if he had been crying. Katara paced herself slowly as she approached, running things over in her head to try and come up with something helpful to say, anything at all. She knelt down, sitting close and resting her arm around him. She shivered, discovering his body cold to the touch; Katara only held him closer, attempting to transfer some, I not all, of her heat to him.

"Aang, I know there's something troubling you. I want to help."

Katara's feathery voice lifted Aang's spirit only for a moment. He turned to her, his cheeks stained with frozen tears.

"I can't tell you…" He sobbed

"Why? I don't understand."

"It's…I…I just can't," He turned away from Katara with shame, unable to meet her eyes, "If I told you…I don't think you'd understand."

"Of course I'll understand; you've got to believe me." Katara shook Aang lovingly, "What could you possibly tell me that I wouldn't understand?"

But it was no use. The more Katara pushed, the more Aang whimpered.

"Alright," Katara hugged Aang as a mother would hug her child. She hoped in time Aang would tell her, "Just know I'm here."

"Thank you…"

He looked up as she let go and smiled, Katara smiling back. Taking her sleeves in hand, Katara wiped Aang's cheeks dry. "Come on, you shouldn't be so upset, Aang," she eased, "it'll be okay, whatever it is. I promise." Katara was about to stand herself and Aang up when she paused; all of a sudden, she noticed a change in Aang expression that moment. He had lost his despairing face and was caught in an eye-lock with her. Katara blushed furiously as she struggled for words, only to become more surprised when he suddenly grappled her around the waist, buried his face in her stomach.

"A-Aang?"

Katara, following her instinct, held Aang closer. She was blushing not just because she was embarrassed, but because…something else. She couldn't put her finger on it. Regardless…she liked how he held her that moment, closing her eyes to take in this wonderful experience.

Sokka suddenly yawned noisily, breaking the silence. Katara's head, even redder now, whipped around in shock to see Sokka speaking groggily to them, rubbing his eyes.

"I miss you getting me up in the morning, Katara…" He stopped rubbing to notice the two friends in close proximity. "Um, what's going on here?

Katara struggled and failed to come up with a logical excuse, but Aang came through just in time.

"I didn't sleep well…" he said honestly, "…actually, I didn't sleep at all."

"Oh…" Sokka stuttered, trying to determine what that had to do with him holding his sister as he was, "Uh…well, if you want to wait a while before we leave…"

"No, I can sleep later. We need to be moving on." Aang got up and stretched his neck, starting to walk down the sloping path leading back to camp. He stopped, however, turning back to face Katara just as he was only a few feet away. Saying nothing but a simple "Thanks" with a smile, Aang walked back down the slope in the camp's direction.

_Maybe I'll tell her some day…_

_Maybe he'll tell me some day…_

"Maybe you'll tell me some day…what was that all about?" Sokka could help but blurt out what was on his confused mind after Aang was a safe distance away. Katara wasn't in any hurry to respond, either, which ticked him off.

"I'm not sure. He wouldn't tell me." Katara looked at distant Aang, frowning. She watched as he walked over to Appa, still asleep, and Momo as he jumped down off the saddle and sat on his shoulder. He looked content being around them…

"It's just because he didn't sleep well, I'm sure"

"Maybe…" she whispered, pausing to think, "…he was so cold." Katara shivered and hugged herself, feeling as if she had lost all her thermal energy.

There was no point in trying to figure it out; Katara trusted when Aang was ready he would tell them what was on his mind. The two siblings headed back towards camp and began to pack everything up once they had arrived. It wasn't too difficult; they had been packing light ever since they lost most of their belongings. Toph, ready and waiting, had managed to get to Appa without too much difficulty.

"Wow, Toph, thank you," Katara exclaimed, "you brought most of our things from our tent."

Sure enough, the large "girl's backpack" sat right beside her, containing most of their clothing and cosmetics.

"It wasn't that heavy," Toph claimed modestly, "besides, I'm starting to get used to hearing without earth, I think."

Sokka was about to thank her as well, until he noticed the strip of seal jerky in her mouth.

"Hey, that stuff's mine!" Sokka shouted

Toph grinned, laughing as she spoke, "You gonna do something about it, ponytail?"

Sokka raised his hand, ready to thoroughly give her a piece of his mind, but decided against it, dropping his hand with a heavy sigh. Instead he let her eat his precious meat, returning to his mediocre task of rolling up the tent, muttering under his breath.

"I heard that!" Toph chucked a loose tin cup at Sokka's head, and it made contact.

"Ow! Toph…!"

"Hey…I guess my hearing _is_ getting better!"

After all was packed, everyone mounted up and took off into the sky. They flew farther south the entire day, not stopping once for a stretch. They were flying unusually slowly, which irritated Sokka. They flew so slowly, in fact, it looked as if the water lapped backwards.

"Can't Appa fly any faster?" he complained, "Is there some kind of airspeed limit or something?"

"Yes, but he gets tired faster, too. Just be patient."

Aang tried to ignore the complaints, and looked out to sea, his eyes getting heavier by the minute. His lack of sleep crippled his awareness and thinking, probably the reason he was so short with everyone. He didn't care, though; he didn't care much for anything lately. He hadn't even told anyone what, or whom, they were searching for. He knew they wouldn't understand; he didn't even understand. Even now it was a blurred memory which he could still not decipher…

* * *

_It's good to see you again, Aang. _

_What did you need to tell me, Roku?_

_There is a man who waits for you; you must go to him, and confront him._

_The Firelord?_

_No, not he._

_Who? Who is it you need me to find? _

_That, Aang, you must discover for yourself._

_But I don't understand…I never did._

_He has led a troubled life. His heart has been turned cold, and all he has cared for has been shattered in front of him. _

_But where can I find him?_

_Learn from him as an example of what you must not become, otherwise you will fail to defeat the Firelord. _

_Wait, don't leave! What if I need your help?_

_You'll know where to find me Aang…and in most cases, I will find you…_

* * *

Aang sighed, troubled by his vision.

_I never wanted to be the Avatar. Why wasn't I born normal? Why couldn't… _

"Aang, you've been sighing over and over for the past hour."

Aang suddenly forgot all about his dream and the confusion it brought, and his mind filled once again with her. The very though of her eased his mind.

"Aang?"

Snapping out of his emotions, Aang addressed the question presented to him

"I was just thinking…" Aang replied

"What about?" Katara inquired, "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"I'm not sure what to say, or ask." Aang said

"Talk to me," Katara encouraged, venturing to rest her head on his shoulder, "Please?"

His spirit broken at last, Aang consented to reveal what he had dreamt. "It happened so fast…" He proceeded with describing his dream in detail to Katara, what little he could remember; Toph and Sokka took interest and listened in as well, edging closer as Aang threw out hypotheses on what Roku meant or what he was implying. By then end, though, Aang rambled beyond understanding, a complete mess.

"I just…don't understand…" he said after he finished his recantation, bordering fury, "why doesn't he just tell me 'go here and talk to this person'; why is he making this so hard for me?"

"Well…" Katara suggested, "He probably wants you to learn something from all this, there has to be an explanation…"

"I'm just so tired of wasting time learning all the elements! I failed to accomplish anything with Guru, I nearly died trying to escape Ba Sing Se, why can't I just…"

Aang's eyes narrowed and his arrows flickered slightly as he raised his voice higher and higher. Katara grabbed his hand gently and pulled him back down, meeting his eyes with sympathy and compassion.

"Aang, I'm sure there's a reason. I mean…there's a reason we met. I was destined to help you learn water bending."

He blushed slightly, feeling his anger trickle away. With a nod, it all vanished. _I'm so glad we met, _he thought, swallowing,_ it's just…why can't I tell you that? _He felt relieved with his hand in hers.

_What if we kissed?_

The same holding of his hand…it triggered the memory of her soft lips pressed against his, taking his mind back into heaven; the thought, the sheer wisp of chance that she could possibly feel the same about him as he did about her…it was overwhelming. If Katara knew what pain she was putting Aang through, she would have perhaps felt guilty.

Their voices still lingered,_ she'll come around…just give it time… _

"Hey!" Toph screamed, and with a swift punch Sokka was in suffering. "Watch where you put that!"

"OW! I wasn't _trying _to…it was an accident!"

Sokka's hand had unfortunately drifted too far as he shifted his weight, leaving poor Toph to believe it was anything but an accident; but now Sokka was cradling his limp arm, and Toph scooted farther away from him. Aang saw this moment as an opportunity, perhaps the only one he was going to get for a long time. He looked around quickly, and saw the other two would be too busy quarrelling to notice. A chance…the chance he had been waiting for, the chance he had dreamt of…the chance he had been dreading.

_Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel…_

Aang swallowed, and a bead of sweat made its way down his forehead. Aang cleared his throat and spoke.

"K-K-Katara?"

_I can do this, I can do this… _

"What is it Aang?"

_I can't do this…_ doubt flooding his mind like water from a broken dam. He found he had lost his voice, and tried desperately to gain it back. He panicked as he saw his window of opportunity shrinking. He finally regained control of his voice, though, and attempted to speak again.

"I've been trying to think of some way to say this. It's um, it's been on my mind for a while now…I can't stop thinking about…a-all we've been through. I mean…"

Katara tilted her head, appearing to not understand what he meant. Aang attempted one last time to say what was really on his mind.

"…what I mean is, ever since you found me in the North Pole you've always been there for me, like…like a big sister except, uh, closer. No one's ever been as nice to me as you, not even Monk Giatso."

Katara's expression lit up, growing more excited with every word, and Aang noticed. He felt more confident about spilling it all now.

_Is he going to tell me what I think he is? _

"You're the best friend I've ever had, Katara; I just wanted you to know that."

Finally, the pressure had been released. Like a gas valve ready to burst, the pressure had been released just in time. He said it…well, most of it. Now was the moment which he dreaded most. But to his joy, he saw Katara's eyes water and her expression broaden into a smile.

"Aang!" Katara blinked, shedding tears, and hugged him dearly, surprised at his kind words.

"You're…you're not upset?" he asked out of uncertainty.

"Upset?!" Katara laughing while still in tears, "that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard!"

"Well, there's more…" Aang said, putting a stopper in his momentary glee. He feared the next few words most of all.

"What?"

Sokka stood up slowly. "Uh…guys?"

"Well, you see…" Aang blushed deeper by the minute, completely ignoring Sokka.

Leaning closer, Katara's eyes widened with anticipation. "What is it?

"Guys…"

"It's just that…I think I l-l…"

"Hey!" Sokka screamed in his sister's ear, trying to get her attention.

"What?!" Katara whipped her head around in annoyance.

"LOOK OUT!"

If only they had listened to Sokka's warning they would have perhaps avoided it. Within a few seconds, a cloud of angry vulture-hawks descended upon Appa and the group of friends, clouding their line of sight and deafening their hearing. Despised by all who lived in the South Pole for their reputation of attacking all things living, the vulture-hawks' ear-piercing screeches hurt enough, but they began to bite and gnaw on the skin of Aang and his friends, starving and enraged.

"Get them off of me!" Toph shrieked; she was completely helpless against these invisible, agile foes.

Sokka clumsily swung his club from left to right, missing nearly every one of the birds he struck at.

"Come on, you wanna piece of this? Huh? Do yah?"

Katara, more in control of herself, flung her favorite, liquid whip at the intruders, but remained unable to convince them to leave. One directly attacked her arm, causing her to lose her focus and drop her weapon. On her knees, clutching her arm, she noticed blood dripping from her hand, and the stinging it produced. Gritting her teeth, she lurched back to her feet and struck the attacker in the torso, rendering it lifeless before her.

Appa, desperate to evade the black birds attacking him, took a dive towards the surface, but perhaps a little too soon. Flying over the crest of a small but level iceberg; his feet raked along the surface before he smashed entirely into a jut of ice. The whole group was jarred from their positions, landing headfirst on the rock-hard ice, having unexpected to run aground. Unfortunately for Aang, he was thrown from Appa's head at an incredible speed while trying to pry a beak off of his hand. He skipped off the iceberg like a rock on a pond, and plummeted to the ocean below, unaware to the others. He crashed into the waves, feeling as if he has just crashed into a stone wall; stunned by the impact, he slowly sank below the surface. Bubbles of air leaked from his mouth, the frigid temperature of the water starting to freeze his innards. He never knew what "cold" was like until then…and he could feel himself slipping out of consciousness.

Meanwhile, instead of pestering the group further, the vulture-hawks simply circling them menacingly, awaiting their death for an easy meal.

Toph!" Sokka ran towards Toph who lay motionless on the ground. Her arms were bruised, and her left hand was cut; he shook her furiously, trying to awaken her from her sleep. She still breathing, but remained unconscious. "Oh man…"

Katara stood herself up, although in pain; her ankle felt less then well, and her forehead wet against the wind, but it did not faze her. She looked up in contempt at the animals that had just ruined her day…and her hair. Kneeling down, Katara took some ice in her hands, now in the form of compact snow, and held it at arms length. With great concentration, and gritting of her teeth, the snow materialized and reshaped itself into a long, shimmering ice-saber.

"Come and get some!" She screamed at them, assuming an offensive stance.

A few greedy, impatient ones decided to test her challenge; however, they soon found that once within range they were no longer able to use their heads.

"Whoa…" Sokka asked in amazement, "when did you learn how to do that?" It completely showed up his swordsmanship, if it could be called that.

Katara didn't reply, both because she had no interest in answering such a trivial question and because she had no idea. It was out of sudden inspiration alone that she was able to even form her weapon, least of all use it properly, a situation which confused her greatly. She continued to bat at and dismember all those hawks foolish enough to take her head on. Before long, dozens lay on the ground dead, the ice turning a sickly red color. Finally, when only a few remained, they fled. Exhausted, Katara dropped her sword, which melted back into the ground, and she collapsed to her knees. Her breathing remained unstable for the following minutes, her eyes staring blankly at the red-splotched ground.

_Wait…what did I just do?_

Meanwhile, Aang struggled to stay above the surface of the water, but he kept sinking. He was not a very skilled swimmer, and he found himself constantly going head-under for minutes on end. The pain of not being able to breath was unbearable; his lungs felt like there were going to explode. The cold water froze his joints, and he could feel his energy leave him.

_I hope the others are doing alright…_

Aang kept looking skyward, while he was above water, hoping to see some sign of them coming to help him; had he not been stunned on hitting the water, it would have been a simple matter of treading water in the relatively calm sea; but he wasn't using his head due to his lack of energy. He finally saw a black speck falling towards him; at first he was hopeful it was them, but then he realized it was falling too fast. With a somewhat large splash, the carcass of a headless vulture-hawk hit the water, scaring Aang half to death at sight.

_Wait…what am I doing?_

Finding his chi somewhat more accessible now, Aang created an inverse whirlpool that spat him out of the frigid waters into the air, allowing him enough time to throw his arms out and create a gust of wind and freeze a section of the water into a platform. Aang attempted to land gracefully on it but faltered, landing with a dull thud at a rather rapid speed. His breathe felt even shorter now; he still felt drained from having to swim in below-zero waters for several minutes, but he considered himself lucky to be alive.

"Sokka?" Toph mumbled.

"Toph!" Sokka rushed over to Toph to see her awake now, and helped her side up. "Are you okay?"

She reddened as she smiled, "Am I? I think so…"

Katara still sat low to the ground, panting. She could feel her heartbeat lessen, even though it was still pounding on her chest. Then she realized…

_Where's Aang?_

She looked around, starting to panic.

"Where's Aang?"

Sokka and Toph failed to hear Katara's request. She kept looking everywhere she could. He wasn't near Appa, or Sokka, or to her left….no….no………no…..

"Sokka! Where's Aang?" She cried in desperation.

Sokka heard her this time, and looked about himself, unable to find him either. In alarm, Katara started frantically searching behind icy stumps and walls, calling his name every few seconds. She starting running, running around, screaming his name in fear that he was truly gone. She finally came to the edge of the icy skyscraper having not found him. Aang was nowhere to be found.

_No…it's not fair_

She felt herself tear up, clenching her fists in anguish. Her fear turned to anger; she could feel it well up inside her, like a ticking bomb eager to go off. All that fighting for nothing, her friend was gone…but wait! She spotted something in the water, something on a white chunk of ice.

"That's gotta be Aang!" she exclaimed.

Thinking irrationally, Katara ran to Appa, jumped onto his saddle, took the reigns, and took off towards the speck she could recognize from a mile away.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled as he saw his half-crazed sister take off, "I wanted to do the rescuing…"

Katara continuously wiped crimson from her forehead. She kept her eyes focused straight, afraid if she blinked she would lose sight of him. It only took her a minute to reach the floating speck, which was indeed Aang. In a fit of glee, Katara jumped from Appa and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Aang, are you ok?" She held him close to herself, trying to warm his chilled body.

"Hey Katara," said Aang softly, "I'm okay."

Katara hugged Aang tightly, a tear falling from her cheek. She listened to his breathing and could hear it was coarse and erratic. He was shivering almost violently, leading Katara to believe he had hypothermia.

"C'mon, we need to get you into something warm." Katara picked Aang up in her arms and struggled but succeeded in getting him up into the saddle. She looked around for a bag to rummage through, but she noticed quickly that all of their belongings had been thrown from the saddle as well.

"N-no, really K-Katara, I'm fine."

Katara wouldn't hear of it though; she held his body close to hers and rubbed her hands up and down his spine. It was the quickest way to warm his body and save his heart from failing. Aang, out of exhaustion, leaned on his dear friend, so thankful she had come to him; he was too tired to think about his crush, he was just happy to be with her at this moment, and happy to be alive. Minutes passed, and Aang felt his strength returning, he felt his cheeks flush, and he felt his awareness return.

"Th-thank you Katara…I feel a lot better now."

She hugged him properly now, happy to hear his words. "I'm glad to hear that…I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Aang felt himself melting; having his head pressed so close to her chest in this tender fashion was nearly breathtaking. He returned the embrace, giving his friend a squeeze. He didn't want this wonderful moment to end…ever. He simple wanted to have her to himself, and all that implies.

"C'mon, let's go back and get the others," Katara said cheerfully and quietly. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, holding him close. Aang, in a dreamy state, nodded, not taking his eyes off of hers. Katara toke hold of Appa's reigns, gave the signal, and the great beast flew back towards Sokka and Toph's general direction, carrying the two best friends with him.

* * *

Sokka volunteered to fly Appa for the next hour or so, allowing Aang to recover from his debilitating experience in the water. Katara had laid him gently in the back of the saddle, and had fetched him something to eat and drink. Aang insisted he wasn't hungry or thirsty but Katara wouldn't have it. He finally gave in and conceded to rest, although he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty doing so. Despite it being only midday, Aang found it easy to doze off after he got comfortable. For once, his thoughts were not full of worry, but anticipation and excitement; he couldn't wait to tell Katara the rest of what he had to say. Snuggling up with a pillow, Aang fell asleep. The afternoon passed quickly, and before long he opened his drowsy eyes, and noticed the sun was in its setting position on the horizon. Toph had dozed off as well, and Sokka held his weary head in the palm of his hand, trying to stay awake. Aang could hear him mumbling to himself…

"I said an hour or so…not the whole day…"

Aang laughed to himself, and looked to see if he could find Katara. It was then he realized that she was behind him, the soft pillow that supported him for the past several hours. Her arms were draped lightly around his waist, her braid loosely undone, and her expression revealing her to be asleep. When Aang shifted his weight, he was surprised and a bit excited to find her arms followed him, still holding a lose grip on his body.

_Wow…this is pretty cool…_

"Hey, you're awake!"

Sokka had heard movement behind him and assumed it to be Aang. He was surprisingly more cheerful than a minute ago. "How ya' doin'?"

"Much better," Aang stated truthfully, "I guess all I needed was some rest."

"Glad to hear it," He turned his attention back to due South, but glanced to see Aang was still sitting in the same place, "Oh, yeah, sorry about that, she said she…"

"No, no, I don't mind," Aang did not mind at all.

"Well," Sokka changed the subject, "I was thinking of setting us down soon, you know, since it's getting late and all. I'll let you know when I do."

Aang nodded, trying to decide whether he wanted to get up or fall back asleep. It didn't take him long to decide he would rather stay where he was in his friends arms. With a rush of blood to his face, he settled back into his cozy bed, tenderly hugging Katara around the waist. He could hear her heartbeat, and for a moment he swore it was the same as his.

It wasn't long before Sokka finally spied a bit of ground to plant Appa on for the night; it was rather large in fact. Sokka almost believed they had reached the South Pole until he noticed the position of the few twinkling stars. With a sigh of relief, he wrapped the reigns around the right horn, standing up to stretch his arms and legs.

_Feels good after a long trip…_

He noticed that everyone was still asleep: Momo to his left, Toph to his right, Katara and Aang to this back. His attention was caught for split second on their position, how they clung to each other as if they had been apart for years. He couldn't help but smile, seeing them as they were.

_They actually…look kind of…_

But he caught himself and shook his head, telling himself such a thing would never happen between friends. He instead proceeded to shake Toph's shoulder.

"Toph? Toph? Hey, c'mon Toph, wake up."

She groaned and rolled over as Sokka continuously shook her. "Mmm….what is it…"

"We've landed, you wanna get up?"

"Yeah…" She stood on her feet and stretched, popped her neck and back, "What time is it?"

"It's almost night," Sokka stated, "we've been traveling for a good several hours."

Toph nodded, still quite drowsy from her sleep. She was always this groggy, never wanting to be disturbed until she was ready. For her, waking up every morning, afternoon, or evening was like waking up in a pitch black room, ever since they had left Ba Sing Se. She couldn't see on ice, which made things frustrating for her and agitated her temper, making her frustrating to be around sometimes; but today she didn't feel like making a scene, perhaps because she filled her Sokka beating quota earlier.

With Sokka's help, Toph descended the furry beast to the cold, slick surface below, wobbling a little as she adjusted to the change. For a moment, Toph was surprised to find the ice wasn't so much like ice; it resembled more compact snow. No sooner was she aware of this, her vision shifted from black shroud to a foggy haze. She was startled, almost a little frightened, to see floaters in her vision, fuzzy signatures of living things. It reminded her of the desert, the loose, shifty sand that provided very little sight for her. She looked around herself nervously, trying to gain a better sight of things around her.

"Toph? Are you okay?"

"Listen! Do you hear that?"

She peered into the distance…she saw something, or someone. He, or she, resembled a dim outline, very hard to make out. The vibrations in the earth were too far and few between.

"What, Appa?" asked Sokka

"No, something else," Toph replied. She walked steadily forward, but found the her already distorted vision warp, so she moved back to her previous position. Her ears started to ache; the strain proved painful.

"Ok, Toph, that is _really_ annoying." Sokka complained "Since when have we ever heard anything you have?" Sokka was pleased with himself; it was the best insult he came up with all day.

For once Toph didn't have a clever come back, but she didn't care. What she saw, or barely saw, confused and upset her; static, varying frequencies of noise and pulses, random waves of sound that hinted at the existence of something in the distance.

"I…I see someone."

By now, Katara had awakened. Self-conscious of Aang's position for a moment, she smiled before waking him up. She asked him if he was okay, and upon his affirmation, helped him to his feet before they both climbed down and crowded around Toph. "Is everything alright?"

"I…I can see…I can see you three faintly…and someone else…but it's all a blur."

"Wait, I thought you heard with earth bending. There's no earth anywhere!" commented Sokka, confused.

Katara looked at the ground, testing it with her feet. "This doesn't feel like ice." Curious, she dug a little into the surface to discover it was snow, and a few inches below it she found frozen tundra. "There _is_ earth here," she said, "that's so weird, this place looks just like any other iceberg. Here…" Katara placed her hands on Toph and directed her onto the little dirt area she had just uncovered

"What do you see Toph?" Aang asked

Now the vibrations intensified; like a radio tuner, things fell into focus. She saw now the whole of the iceberg as the others did, as well as the hidden. She captured in her mind the island's topology, like a camera. Her memory would serve as a map leading their group to this stranger.

"The best I can make out is he's some kind of lone rider on a horse of some kind," Toph said

"Wait, how did you figure that?" Sokka asked, skeptical

"Because we're the only live things on this rock," Toph stated matter-of-factly, "C'mon."

As she left her comforting earth spot, her vision scattered again into disarray. Everything fell out of focus again, into darkness, but she could still remember what she saw for the brief moment she could see clearer.

"How many times do I have to say this? We should always go _away_ from loud noises and mysterious sounds!" Sokka pleaded, but no one listened. "My instincts tell me we should just go back to…"

"Go back to where?" Katara laughed, "Besides, last time we trusted your instincts we ran into the fire nation remember?"

"Yeah, well, last I checked, it was my instincts who warned you about Jet; but no, you wouldn't listen…"

Just the memory of Jet's betrayal and re-betrayal of her trust brought sadness into Katara's heart. "Please…don't bring that up."

"You just don't want to admit I might be right." Sokka said

When they met, Jet was so striking, so courageous, and seemed so heroic. Only time had to pass before she discovered what a thug and a thief he was, and how he used her bending to cause more destruction for his personal gain. She didn't like to think about it; she had tried to move on, but emotions kept returning. Ignoring Sokka's remark, she grabbed Aang by the hand and walked past him, followed Toph.

As they walked through icicle covered caves and passed dead frozen trees, the night drew closer and closer. Before long, the sun was half set on the horizon, and Aang estimated they had been traveling on foot for at least half an hour, if not longer.

"Allow me to reiterate how much walking stinks." Aang grumbled

"Yeah, why aren't we _flying_ southeast?" Toph asked "At this rate, I don't know if this person's going to be there."

"Besides the fact you can't see well in the air and we'll be easily spotted? Oh, no reason." Sokka said sarcastically.

"Well I'm going to pass out if I have to walk any further." Katara complained.

"That's funny, I'm not tired." Sokka was lying, of course; he was tired as well.

"Hey, great, then you can carry my stuff for me!" Katara joked.

"Oh, alright, fine, we can fly. But if we get caught…"

Without another word, everyone, including Toph, climbed on Appa, ready for take-off.

"I'm never taken seriously. Ever."

Appa groaned and he lifted off from the ground. Minutes later the white prairie sunk into a canyon; it resembled the Great Divide, except made with ice. The setting sun sparkled on it's smooth yet textured surface, and a gust of wind chilled yet excited the young rebels. A few, scattered snowflakes started to fall, adding to the serenity of their environment. The exhausted party flew for several more minutes across this beautiful glacier, still looking for any sign of what Toph had heard. They landed to try and gain an idea of where they should head next.

"I can't see it anymore." Toph said in disappointment, the shroud having returned to cloak her vision, "There's no earth here."

Out of frustration and fatigue, Sokka clenched his fists. "All this for nothing?"

"But…wait…"

"What is it?"

The rest turned to Toph as she slowly but surely turned to her right, tilting her head. She could no longer see with her hearing, but she thought she heard something nonetheless. Distant crunching snow, footprints, something walking, Toph wasn't sure. She wasn't the only one to notice, however.

"Hey, what's that?"

Katara had been scanning the endless, icy prairie, until her eyes caught something; they fixed themselves, as tired as they were, on a distant spec. It was too hard to make out being so far away, yet it was easy to tell it approached them at a swift speed. _The Fire Nation?_ Aang and Sokka turned to see, Toph strained her ears to listen.

"I don't like this…" Katara placed her hand on her pouch, anticipating the worst.

"Who knows," suggested Aang, "maybe they're friends?"

"Always the optimist," Sokka shook his head, "Don't you remember anything that's happened so far?

After several minutes of unsettling wait, the black speck, which was now visibly yards away, halted. The silhouetted rider rode upon a gallant creature none of them had ever seen. It looked like a horse yet was not; it bore talons of an eagle, a tail of a horse, quills of a hedgehog, and the snout of a dragon. It stretched and retracted its rather large, black wings, creating a cloud of fog as it exhaled sharply through it's nostrils. The master dismounted, landing in the snow with a metallic clink, and walked slowly and menacingly towards the four.

"Who are you?"

The stranger ignored the demand, continuing to pace back and forth. The sun's glare nearly blinded Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka, since it shone from directly behind the intruder.

"Are you Avatar Aang?"

Such a cold, unforgiving voice was his. It led them to wonder if there was any good possible outcome of this meeting. All they could gather so far was that he was a he, nothing more. Katara feared him to be an assassin, but Aang wasn't so sure. He, feeling his heartbeat pick up, was about to respond before Toph boldly stepped forward, taunting the stranger with her posture.

"We answer to no one, so back off and leave us alone!"

The stranger failed to acknowledge Toph's threat and addressed Katara directly. "And you…you are the one they call 'Katara,' correct?"

"D-Didn't you hear me?" Toph's voice grew shaky, "I said back off!" Toph widened into her stance, ready to deal out pain. She had completely forgotten her bending was of no use here, self-confident she could win any fight regardless.

"Wait, Toph, don't provoke him!" Katara pleaded

"Uh, you realize there's no earth around, right?" Aang stated the obvious, caused Toph's heart to stop.

"What…what is you want from us?" Katara asked

"I'll show you."

With his last, chilling words, the stranger thrust his hand out, sending a speeding dagger towards Katara; in reaction, she was forced to drop to the ground, having inadequate time to waterbend. She felt it brush by her face, barely cutting her cheek as she fell. Clasping her face, she felt the blood begin to ooze, and the sting it caused distracted her.

"Don't hurt her!"

The black figure widened his stance and reached out with his hand, twisting it as if he had grasped someone's throat. A pulsating ray of fire-colored energy shot from his hand, straight at him.

_A fire bender? _

Aang jumping in front of Katara instinctively, extending his staff, ready to deflect the attacker's fire; he soon discovered however, it was not fire at all. The orange stream of energy penetrated Aang's wooden weapon, and smote him on the chest. It looked and felt like lightning, but he felt his energy sapped. Reality blurred, and sound began to warp.

_What…kind of bending…is this…?_

His joints and muscles were locked, and his lungs refused to intake air. Aang lost motor control of his limbs, turning to jelly. He struggled for breath only to faint to the ground, motionless.

"NO!"

Katara watched, a single tear leaving her face, as Aang fell seemingly dead to the ground. His body hitting the surface created a dull thud that made her stomach feel queasy. She flung herself on Aang, lifting his limp body up.

_He's dead…oh Spirits no, He's dead._

Tears began to flow faster from Katara's eyes as she cradled Aang's flaccid body. Had she studied it closer, she would have noticed Aang was still breathing, and he still carried a pulse, but she was too beset by emotion. She laid his body gently down, wiped away her tears, and rose to confront the enemy, fueled by her grief.

"You monster! How could you do such a thing?!" screamed Katara, enraged and crying hysterically. "Damn you…damn you to hell; I'll kill you for this!"

Without wasting a moment, she gathered all her strength and began to pull water towards herself from the surrounding ice. But before she was ready, the enemy held out his hand again, bringing Katara to her knees as she struggled to breathe. She gasped in agony as sharp pain ran through her entire body, watching her energy leave her as a sparkling, crimson, plasma stream.

_My lungs…the pain…my vision…so cloudy…_

As the light around her blackened, she tasted the metallic flavor of blood dripping down her throat. All this time her crippled mind tried to figure out what kind of dark bending this was

_How is this…possible…how is he…doing this? _

Katara's life began flashing before her eyes: the death of her mother, the absence of her father, and her discovery of Aang. Sweet, sweet Aang; she would never see him again. Katara felt her consciousness fade, her vision blacken, and with it, the pain.

As she was about to die, she felt her strength return, and could see, in the mist of her cloudy vision, the moon slowly rising above the horizon. Feeling empowered, she reached for the surface again, and with great strain softened the ice around the attacker's feet. He fell swiftly into the frigid water and loosened his death grip upon her. Katara, on her knees again, felt the relief of oxygen flood her lungs; she gasped with misery, spitting out blood as she regained her consciousness. Her attacker rose from the water; she stretched out her quivering hands and exhaled softly; the fog of her breath cooled the air, ice growing to encase the stranger where he was. With only a brief struggle, he fell limp.

Dizzy with exhaustion, and loss of blood, Katara swayed and struggled to stay conscious. She tried to stand up, but failed to remain upright.

"KATARA!" Sokka's voice sounded muffled and distant.

As the world dimmed away, she looked upon Aang's limp body once more. With blood-stained tears, and broken heart, Katara collapsed in her brother's arms…

**To be continued…**

* * *

_And with this cliffhanger, I bid you all a good night…_


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2

_First of all, thank you for those who read and reviewed my first chapter; I'm both shocked and delighted to hear you all enjoyed reading it! I'll try my best to update when possible; the story is mostly written; I just need to edit by part as I go and post them up. If you like, please check on my profile for occasional updates and things. Out of boredom one night, I created a simple picture that's in a way a promo for the first chapter. I'll probably make more, so keep looking there for news and whatnot. Pardon my terrible Chinese, please._

_I guess I'm not one for many A/N, and I don't want to delay you from reading the next bit, so…here's Part II. _

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Part 2**

* * *

_There once was a boy of the air_

_Who fell into dreams of despair;_

_He then woke up in fright,_

_In the middle of the night,_

_And found that his friend was not there._

_As he collapsed out of grief_

_He found his emotions ran deep;_

_Looking around_

_Seeing nothing but ground,_

_He felt himself starting to weep._

_-- ChiEkku_

* * *

Aang awoke, dizzy and confused, finding himself staring into a blue haze. It slowly clarified and sharpened into a cloud-filled sky, with tiny, fuzzy, cotton-balls of snow drifting towards his face, dancing in the slight breeze. The sun, dead center in the sky, caused him to squint and shield his eyes before turning his head away with a groan. He tried to move, but Aang's limbs felt not only sore but lifeless. It took him a few moments to regain his strength to simply lift his arm; struggling to his knees, he gasped in pain, short of breath.

_Where am I?_

He lay for several minutes, although it felt to be several hours, on the grassy hillside, slowly regaining his strength and awareness. Aang, now feeling fully aware, quickly realized his body lay dangerously close to a chasm, having looked completely around. Slowly and timidly he crawled to glance over the cliff. Peering down into the abyss, Aang's head swam at examining the bottomless pit that lay before him; he backed away, fearing he would slip and plummet to the jagged rocks below. After he inched safely away, Aang tried to stand and look about, but discovered his legs were not willing. With great strain, he pushed his feet into the dirt and forced his body into the air; he teetered and wobbled, quite off balance, but managed to maintain his posture.

As he looked sluggishly around, he noticed there were no birds, animals, or people of any kind; only the lone rustling of the wind through the grass met his ears. He also noticed…familiar caves and paths, and an especially familiar snow-topped fortress in the background. Rubbing his eyes to see if they were tricking him, he quickly found it was indeed home, no place other than the Southern Air Temple

…_the Southern Air Temple? Huh?_

It was as he had left it, when they passed by not to long ago. Unlike the North, his home remained secluded and intact, unscathed by the ever-growing evil that threatened the world. Aang sighed with relief, pleased to find it undisturbed, yet saddened to find none of his friends with him.

_But what am I doing here? What happened, anyway…where was I?_

Glancing around again, he still found no one else with him. His memory failed to present him with an explanation as to why he was here in the first place, least of all why no one else was with him. Who was he with, anyway? Aang knew deep down he had been with at least two other people, but…he couldn't recall their faces or their voices. Still, in the moment he felt relaxed to be home after all these years. He decided to make his path through the brush and re-explore the familiar grounds of his childhood.

"Hello? Hello-o?"

Nothing returned Aang's call except the echo of his own voice. He called several times, yet heard nothing. He didn't like what his senses told him…it didn't feel right. It wasn't the time of year for snow, even this high up in the mountains, and there was nothing living around. When he visited here last with Sokka and Katara, birds took to the sky, mice ran across the snow-glazed fields, and beetles crawled along portions of the stone caverns of the temple…

_Wait…that was their names!_

A small chunk of his memory returned, Aang's peculiar amnesia fading slowly away. He scrutinized his thoughts intensely, trying to find a link to relocate the rest, struggling for minutes on end to remember what he had forgotten. By now, Aang had arrived in the courtyard, the same courtyard he walked through months ago with his two friends. The strain of this recollection put his body in sudden suffering, and he collapsed to the ground again, clenching his eyes and gritting his teeth. He struggled with all his might to ignore the searing pain running through his bones.

_What…what's happening to me…?_

With a numbing montage of images, he watched the last few weeks of his life as a movie at light speed. Each image pulsated in his mind, and he flinched with each and every one of them.

"Aang!"

And then, just like that, it vanished. At the sound of her voice, Aang's pain bled away, and his stamina returned. He stood himself up, although with difficulty, trying to gather his thoughts and his bearings.

_Okay, I remember now…_

Aang vision grew noticeably distorted now, and he continuously rubbed his eyes to try and fix it. It adjusted out of focus and began rippling much like water, colors starting to fade and shapes beginning to deform. The world itself was bent out of shape. His head was sluggish and heavy, and the longer time passed, the more disoriented Aang felt. Out of dizziness, Aang lost his footing and fell to the floor again, which disintegrated into sand on impact. Aang, in terror, fell through the quicksand floor, plunging into a fissure of blackness, spiraling down into nothing. Then, suddenly, he hit rock bottom.

"Aang_…"_

Aang could no longer feel his body, loosing his senses one by one. As he looked up expecting blackness, his vision sharpened to show him an angel. She lay on her back, her blue, tattered clothes stained in red, her eyes shedding blood and her mouth agape in pain.

"Aang…"

_No. It's not possible…_

Aang's heart stopped as he saw Katara's limp and blood covered body lying on the ground in front of him. She tried to smile in light of seeing Aang, but didn't move, nor could she.

"Katara! No!!"

"Aang…don't leave…"

Katara weakly lifted her arm towards Aang, and he, as best he could, reached out for it; for a moment, Aang held her pail fingers in his palm. Yet, as he screamed her name over and over, he arm vanished into dust, as well as her body, and the black shroud around him overcame his sight. Aang shivered…cold, alone, and heartbroken

"Katara…"

Aang cried himself out of consciousness, trying to tell himself it was all a terrible dream.

* * *

Katara came to herself staring into blackness, surrounded by the eerie, echoic dripping of water in the background. She saw herself easily, but could see nothing else around her. She gasped to find her arms stained with trickled of red… she too, for some reason, was unable to remember how she had arrived here and why, especially why she was bleeding. Then, bit by bit, the dank environment around her grew lighter, and Katara was able to see slippery stalagmites and iridescent insects along the wall.

_I think I've been here…_

Something about this place looked familiar to her, but Katara wasn't sure why. Daring to walk forward into the depth of the fog, she found the light grew brighter, and before long she stepped out of the blackness into the familiar amber-lit cavern. Katara rejoiced…she loved this place so much; she dreamt about it time and time again. This cave was her favorite memory…

"We're gonna run out of light any second now, aren't we…"

Because she was with him. Just as she heard his voice, Katara looked to her left to see Aang, solemnly holding his torch and staring blankly to the floor.

_Am I dreaming again?"_

But she didn't care…looking at Aang, Katara's joy ran over, excited as she was about to relive the happiest moment of her life, where she kissed the young Avatar alone.

"What are we going to do?"

Katara reached out and grabbed Aang's hand, pulling him closer as the burning light dimmed. She drew closer and closer to him, her heart beating faster as she could feel his breath.

"What can we do?" Katara said just above a whisper.

As the last flicker of light vanished, she sighed with pleasure as she felt the coolness of his lips as she pressed hers against his; Katara held Aang close, releasing her passion for him. It felt so wonderful; Katara wished she had the courage to express herself to him outside her dreams. She didn't count the number of time this dream re-occurred to her, but she enjoyed every one of them, praying they would become real one day. As the embrace was broken, the cave's crystals glowed once more, illuminating the two still holding hands; Katara wondered how the dream would vary from this point on, as it often did. Katara waited, but in vain. Unexpectedly, Aang pushed her back, causing her to lose her footing and stumble to the ground.

"What are you _doing_ Katara?!"

This wasn't turning into a pleasant dream…

"But I thought you…no…"

"Katara, you're kidding, right?" With no answer from Katara, Aang's expression turned into disgust. "You think I _love_ you??"

This wasn't a pleasant dream at all…

"But…don't you feel anything at all? After all we've been through?"

"Sorry Katara, but I can't risk our lives for some stupid romance."

This was a nightmare…her worst fears realized…

"Is that was you think of my feelings toward you?"

Instead of welling up in anger she began to cry, heartbroken by his mockery. Even in her dreams, she never wanted to experience this kind of open, decadent rejection. Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks, but Aang was unshaken by the sound of her sobs.

"Aang, please, I…" She reached out her hand to try and touch him, But Aang stepped back, making her miss.

"Come on Katara, you're my friend, not my girlfriend. Don't make things more complicated than they need to be"

"Aang…don't you feel anything?"

Aang turned his back to Katara and walked towards the cave's exit, leaving Katara alone with her grief.

_It can't end like this…not like this…_

* * *

A rush of blue, blinding white, and sickly red…Katara awoke to reality in a cold sweat, gasping for air as if she had held her breathe for an eternity. Panting with her back against the cold, hard ground, she looked around herself to gather where she was… there was not enough light, however, to see clearly, and it took Katara's eyes a minute to adjust. Having waiting, she realized she lay in some sort of cave made entirely of ice, yet opaque as no light could shine through.

She scanned the room around herself to see nothing in site, save a lone stalagmite towards the right-center of the room. The glossy surface of the floor reminded her of glass; it held ripples like that of water, frozen in time. As she twisted her head to the other side to inspect the room further, Katara sensed something wet on her face; at first she assumed it was simply water, but she brushed her fingers along her cheek to notice blood, which had apparently dripped from her eyes, but only just.

_What? How'd this happen?_

Then she remembered…

"Aang! Sokka!" she cried out, but no one replied

Katara climbed to her feet quickly, although feeling dizzy, and looked more thoroughly at her surroundings; there was no trace of her brother or two friends to be found. Aang was not here…she did notice, however, an ovular, slippery exit out of this icy prison, although dark and ominous. With no one else around and nothing else preoccupying her, Katara ventured to explore her new, rather small world; maybe she could find a way out, or someone else trapped here as well (if it was indeed a prison). She stumbled at her first step, finding the ice quite slick under her feet, and quite hard on contact. Pushing herself back up, Katara wobbled and continued on towards the foreboding hollow.

_It's just a dream…a dream…just a dream…_

She still struggled to come to terms with her grief from her dream, her last memory of Aang. She also waited to awaken from this nightmare, as well. It seemed, however, that this was reality, and no matter how much she desired to wake up, she couldn't…she wouldn't.

As she passed the icy stalagmite center to the room, her foot brushed against something soft and organic. Katara, nearly losing her balance again, glanced at her toes to see another foot, wrapped in a dark, brown, cloth shoe. Katara found it odd she hadn't noticed it before, and peered around the tall, upside-down icicle to see what it was she had collided with. Her eyes followed the trail up past the legs to the hip, then the shoulders, and then finally…

"Aang!"

Katara, wide-eyed and ecstatic, flung herself on the young, still airbender, shaking his limp form in an attempt to wake him from his sleep. Still, Aang remained on his side, lying motionless, his expression showing only pain and grief. Katara, her joy fading quickly, remembered then how he had fallen lifeless at the feet of the black rider. She tried to hold back the wave of tears, despite her bitter anguish, determined not to fall apart as she had previously. If he was indeed dead…there was nothing to be done.

She instead took her seat on the cold ground, resting herself against the jut of ice next to Aang, looking to his face as if he were awake and staring at her as well. Blinking a tear away to the icy floor, Katara reaching out and rested her hand against his cold, lifeless body, and ran it up and down his arm.

"Aang, I'm not sure you can hear me," Katara paused, feeling almost too heartbroken to continue, "but…there's something you should know…"

Katara bit her lip, trying to withhold her rush of emotions and maintain control over her volatile emotions. She looked down to the reflective floor, up to the spiked topaz ceiling, and to her side, looking for the words to say. Yet, as she was about to speak, the limp form of Aang shifted its weight

"Uhhnngg…Katara?" Aang's voice echoed softly.

Katara's heart leaped. A voice? His? Impossible…

"AANG!!"

Her joy rekindled, Katara watched Aang's eyes open. In a fit of delight, she bent over and picking him up in her arms, hugging him with all her might. Aang, now fully awake, embraced Katara as if he had been separated from her for years.

"Oh Aang, I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I had such a terrible dream…"

"I did too…"

Katara's tears of joy dampened Aang's clothing, her arms refusing to let go of him. The longer she held Aang, the longer Katara's feelings solidified. His death, or illusion thereof, caused her heart to break; seeing him alive now, such an intense switch from despair to joy, forced her to realize how meaningful this boy was to her. Aang found a place in her heart from the beginning, and now she knew…she loved him. Not motherly love, or brotherly love, but _love_. She sobbed and sobbed, thanking the Spirits for saving her dear friend from death. Aang, too weak to cry, latched on to his guardian angel, equally thankful he was alive and his dream had been just that…only a dream.

_But how can I tell him? _

_How can I tell her?_

"Aang…I…I need to ask you something…"

"What? What is it?"

Katara, hugging Aang tighter, prepared to let it all spill…but was unable to finish her sentence.

"Katara! Aang!"

Sokka, followed by Toph, entered the room, teary to the brim that his sister lived.

"Sokka!"

Katara setting Aang gently back down, the two siblings rushed to embrace each other, Sokka held Katara in his arms, trying to hold his tears but failing

"I thought I'd lost you."

Sokka's voice seized up, as did his arms as they hugged his sister dearly.

"It's okay, I'm fine,"

Katara soothed the tone of her voice, happy to see her brother as well. She equally squeezed him, followed by a short silence before the two siblings separated.

_Get a grip on yourselves, people…_

Toph, despite her lack of sight, could imagine enough, repulsed by the mush she overheard. Still, she was pleased to see Katara alive, too.

"Thanks for not leaving yet…I'd hate to have lost a friend."

Katara, rather shocked at Toph's kind remark, couldn't help but proceed to hug her next.

"Thanks…I'd have missed you too."

"Okay, that's enough!…yeah, we all love each other."

After Katara released Toph, who was somewhat squirming being held by another girl, Sokka turned to Aang with a sincere expression on his face.

"Aang…I just wanted to thank you. What you did…you saved Katara. You're the bravest person I know, risking your life for hers."

Sokka knelt to Aang, as a subject to his king, honoring his valor and bravery. Aang felt quite out of place at the moment, being respected in such a way.

"No…really, it was nothing…"

"No," Sokka interrupted, "it is; please accept my gratitude…and my apology for treating you less than I should sometimes."

_Sometimes…reach farther ponytail._

"…and you've earned my respect too, Twinkle Toes." Toph added, "That was even more impressive than when you fought the Sabertooth Moose-lion. You've got guts."

Giving him a slug in the shoulder, she retired to Sokka and Katara's sides, all of whom looked upon him as their hero.

"Thank you, Aang…"

Katara spoke now, smiling with glittering eyes and cheeks flushed. She approached Aang and pulled him close, trapping his head in her perfumed hair. Entranced by her heavenly scent, Aang wrapped himself around her, breathing deep this ether which made his spirits soar.

"Thank you for saving me…"

_How could I not…I would die for you._

* * *

So, Sokka, where are we?"

Aang and Katara had followed Sokka and Toph through the maze of glass and water for the past half hour, simply exploring the vast scale of the place. The two sleepers were surprised to find how large it really was.

"Well, this cave is pretty big as you can see," he said, "I put you two in that one room so you'd be safe. It's like a labyrinth, so no one could find you without getting lost…but here's the exit."

_Why would he do that?_

Shortly after, the group of four entered a large foyer, the largest chamber they had come across so far. The center of the room contained a smooth, round stone floor surrounded by ice; a blinding light, shining directly in front of them, lead to the outside world. A set of stones forming a campfire pit lay in the center of the stone part of the floor, still smoldering from the previous night, and many of the supplies, equipment, and beds were scattered around the room. The roof of the place, glass-like and curved, slanted towards the exit of the cavern, allowing any smoke to leave with without smothering anyone.

"This is where Toph and I've been for the past several days, while you two were sleeping."

"Wait, what?" Katara asked, "How long were we unconscious?"

"Almost a week…you guys had me pretty worried."

_A week? But my dream went by so fast…_

Katara and Aang glanced at each other, shocked to discover this fact. They continued, however, to follow Sokka, who lead them outside into the shimmering, snowy landscape.

"That's where we landed yesterday, and that's where you fought."

Sokka pointed in sequence. The scene was still battle worn, complete with the shards of ice that trapped the intruder, and blood stains coating the surface of the ground. Katara trudged slowly across the desolate prairie to the marks, kneeling to rake her fingers along the surface. She paused on touching the scarlet spots…

_I caused this…?_

"You put up one heck of a fight, Katara. It was as if Aang falling unconscious empowered you."

"Huh?" Katara snapped back into reality, "Oh, no it was…the…the moon. Yes, all water benders draw their power from the moon, and it was nearly full last night."

What Katara said was true, but merely a half-truth. She knew, however, her brother trusted logic over all.

_Sorry, Sokka...I don't think you would understand._

"Yeah, I guess you're right. That makes sense."

"So, Sokka," Aang asked, "after I fell unconscious, what happened?"

"Well, basically Katara went into super-slayin' mode and froze him, sliced him, and diced him. He was pretty badly injured when he thawed out of the ice, but…"

"Thawed out?" Katara questioned, "He's still alive?"

"That's right." Toph stated factually

"What?" Aang and Katara gasped in unison

"Is there something I can help with?"

The friends turned to see a man, not so dark and foreboding now, calling their attention. He was a little older than Sokka, skinny yet well-built, wearing much less heavy clothing than Katara's fir coat. He shivered a little, his plate-male suit providing little to no protection from the frigid climate. He was cut all across his body, what little the could see, and was scarred on his cheek, left arm, and right leg. He no longer spoke authoritatively, rather neutrally instead.

"I'm Xùn; we fought six days ago."

Instantly Katara's mind flooded with the memory of her conflict, the memory of Aang falling seemingly dead before her feet. The misery…she remembered how dejected and alone she felt, how dead and heartbroken her soul became. Fear of his power…hatred of his actions…Katara could not help but let that emotion overshadow her; the surrounding ice began to quake and crack as she clenched her fists in fury.

"You almost _killed_ Aang!!"

"Yes, and it's a shame it didn't work."

Katara thrust her hand to the ground, bending the ice around her fingers into a watery orb; taking hold of it, she rapidly shaped it into a familiar, jagged rapier. With a terrifying shriek she hurled herself at the enemy, eager to draw his blood.

_You will die by my hand…_

As her blade approached, however, he countered it with an equally large weapon, drawn at the last minute from a hidden sheath. The force of impact of the two weapons shattered Katara's, knocking her to the ground, leaving her at his mercy. A spray of glittering gems rained down upon her head, all which remained of her once deadly tool.

"Now's not the time to have at each other; I'm not here to fight you now."

He sheathed his sword with grating metal, refusing to attack Katara in any way. Katara withheld her rage for a moment to listen, doubting, however, he would have anything useful to say.

"As I said, my name is Xùn; I'm a freelancer, and I would like to join your group in defeating the fire nation."

Katara scorned his words, "Join us? You try to kill us, and then ask us to let you join us?"

"Katara, let him speak," Sokka chided, "He has loads of insider info on the fire nation. He could be the ticket to getting to the Fire Lord."

Katara glared at Xùn, analyzing his face for deceit, any kind of trickery a spawn of Jet might conceal. Yet his countenance held honest, and Katara let him speak, although reluctantly.

"Fine…what do you have to say for yourself?"

The short silence that followed increased the tension between the two, Katara impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Only that I ask for your forgiveness, and for a chance to prove myself as your ally."

"Why did you attack us?" Katara asked in indignation

"I was afraid," Xùn replied, "I heard many stories of the ferocity and viciousness of the Avatar and his friends; all false of course, I can see that now."

Katara didn't quite see the connection, as he had approached them and attacked preemptively...it didn't match up with what happened. Still, she decided not to pursue it much further, as she slowly discovered her rage fading.

"Well," Katara said defiantly as she turned to walk back into the cave, "don't judge us so quickly next time."

Aang, who had remained silent this entire time, watched his friend leave the gathering of five to retire in the cave from which they came. He was puzzled himself, not sure which side he should take. If Xùn was indeed sorry, he should forgive him; but Katara didn't trust him, so should he?

"I apologize for what I did," Xùn addressed Aang now, bowed his head courteously, "I hope in time you will forgive me."

Aang stood motionless for a second, yet he felt it his duty to forgive and move on from past transgressions. He nodded his head lightly, acknowledging his regret.

"I forgive you. I'm sure it wasn't your intent."

"Thank you." Xùn said.

Xùn abruptly left the group as well, approaching his beast tethered near the cave's entrance. The dragon-like creature snorted with restlessness, eager to stretch its legs it seemed. Xùn untied the reins from the jut of ice they were wrapped around, and mounted, kicking the icy floor. With a swish of wings and a cry from its throat, the flying beast took off into the sky.

_Where's he going? _

"Don't worry he'll be back," Sokka said, coming along side Aang, "he offered to get us supplies in return for repaying his debt. I think he really is sorry for what he did."

_Maybe…_

"He'll be back around sundown; c'mon, let's go eat some lunch."

Lunch…food…suddenly Aang's stomach singed with pain. He hadn't eaten in almost a week, and he felt like he could eat a whole…well a whole lot, that's for sure.

"That sounds really good, actually…"

Sokka chuckled, "I thought it might."

Walking back into the main foyer of the cavern, Aang observed a pleasant change in temperature. He hadn't noticed the chilling air outside until he left it, and was grateful to whoever set up the fire pit. They were fortunate there was more rock than ice in that portion of the cave where it stood.

The fur-lined sleeping bags were still rolled out, and Katara had nestled herself in one with a book, pen in hand. She wrote vigorously, barely even noticing the two friends entering the area.

_I wonder what she's writing…_

With a last few strokes, she put her pen to rest, aware of their presence.

"I don't trust him…how can you, Sokka?" She continued with her writing.

"Me? I don't trust him either," Sokka claimed, walking towards the knapsack of food, "but we don't have much of a choice but to let him stay."

Closing her book with her pen marking the page, Katara turned to address her brother. "Then why are we letting him stay here?"

"I don't know," Sokka said, scratching his head, "I just…don't think he's going to try anything."

"But he did!" Katara exclaimed, "He tried to kill Aang and me; have you completely forgotten?!"

Sokka was struck silent, unable to reply with an intelligent response.

"Sokka, there's something I don't like about him," Katara said, "something doesn't feel right…don't you feel it too?"

Yet Sokka felt nothing…yes he thought it was odd, but he calculated it even more unlikely he would commit the same atrocities again after profusely apologizing.

"Katara, I understand your concern," Sokka tried to reason, "but he did apologize, and he does seem to be trying to make things up…"

"I agree with snoozles," Toph added, who was now lazily staring at the ceiling, "Who knows, he might help us."

_Help…instruct…learn…_

Like a switch, the words sparked Aang's mind, his train of thought recalling the words Roku had departed to him…

_You must find someone…learn from him as an example of what not to become… _

"I think we should let Aang decide what we should do," Katara stated, before redirecting her attention to him, "What should we do Aang?"

Aang's déjà-vu frightened him…was this the person he had been searching for all this time? He fit the profile, but his name…his name was odd, though.

"Aang?"

_Wait a minute…_

"Toph," Aang knew Toph to be well education in language and the arts, and decided to probe her knowledge for some answers, "What does the word 'xùn' mean?"

Toph's ears perked up at the word; evidentially her interest was peaked by this question.

Katara looked puzzled…it was such an odd question to ask the meaning of their acquaintance's name. "Why would you ask that?" she asked, but got no reply.

"Let's see…" Toph pondered a few minutes while swaying her propped up legs, "I think it means 'model,' you know, like an example you look up to…?"

_You gotta be kidding me…_

"I think we should wait and see what happens…that's my decision."

It was decided then…Aang's gut told him this person was important, not just by his name, but by Roku's words and the circumstances leading to their meeting. It couldn't be coincidence; he could be the one man he searched for. Aang was clueless as to what he could possibly learn, but took those words to heart long ago, those words he could never forget…

"_Open your brain to the possibilities…"_

"Okay…if you're sure…"

Katara, disappointed by the airbender's decision, sighed with a reluctant expression. She trusted Aang…but she didn't trust Xùn, a rising conflict she felt within. Katara suddenly noticed the book in her hands, having forgotten she was previously written within in. Placing it into a bag nearby, and stretched out on the floor, cushioned by her bed, and closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the white noise of the wind. What a week this had been…

"Well, I don't know about you," Sokka bellowed, "but I'm starving!"

"Me too," Aang clutched his growling stomach, "what do we have to eat?"

* * *

Following the four friends eating an extravagant meal of smoked fish, dried fruit, and bread, they found sleep crawling nearer, despite the time only being just past midday. Yet, recent events tired them all, and even though Aang and Katara had just recently awakened, they found it quite easy to drift back into dreams of brighter, more enjoyable times. With nothing else to do, it was a much better alternative to staring at water dripping from the stalactites, which lulled Sokka to sleep within a few minutes. During their time asleep, however, they failed to notice Xùn slither into the cave, and vanish into the shadows, which were his abode as designated by Sokka. He certainly wasn't going to force him to room outside in the snow; that would be inhumane. He didn't want him near his sister, though, for obvious reasons.

Not much longer after sundown, Sokka awoke, yawning loudly and standing slowly up to his feet. With a stretch of his legs and arms, and a few pops of his joints, he felt much more refreshed and awake, ready to take on some firebenders! Oh wait….there were none. Still, he didn't let this isolated ice cube dampen his spirits, and proceeded to prepare the room for night. One of the neat featured about this cave, he thought, was the fact it had enough rocks supporting it to allow a fire to burn without melting the walls to come crashing down on them in their sleep. He tiptoed to the pile of dry sticks and bark near the fire pit; he collected a horde of them earlier from outside, which fortunately managed to dry out completely within the few hours after gathering them. Having arranged them in a neat and tidy pyramid, he attempted to start a fire rubbing two identical sticks together on the smooth, rocky surface.

"Stupid, stupid fire…why won't you light!?"

Mumbling and grumbling as he worked, Sokka continuously rubbed the two sticks together, but not fast enough to create a spark. He shifted many times, first from the stone floor to the tent of wood, then back the floor, trying as hard as he could to make fire, or at least smoke.

"You know, maybe I should make the fire."

Startled by her voice, Sokka heart jolted, his hands flinging the sticks clear across to the other side of the room.

"Geez!" he griped, "Don't _do_ that!"

Grinning evilly, Katara ascended from her bed to aid her brother.

"Here; I'll do it"

"But you _always_ make the fires," Sokka moaned, "I did it before! It's just these stupid sticks…"

"Yeah, because every time you try to you either injure yourself or fail." Katara laughed, as she acquired two new sticks, and handed them to Sokka for another try. "Okay, big brother, try again."

Moments after he continued his rubbing, though, Sokka shrieked in agony as he ironically forced a splinter into his hand.

"Oh, alright, _fine!_ Here, now let's see you make…"

Katara took the two sticks from her brother without saying a word, and began grating them together much more quickly than Sokka had. Within a matter of seconds, the sticks emitted a tiny amount of grey smoke; taking a small piece of bark from the pile of gathered dry wood, she crumbed it as best she could into pellets, placing the smoking sticks onto them. Continuing to work with the twigs a little longer, the pellets soon smoked, and with the breath of life Katara brought fire into existence in the pit.

"…fire" Sokka finished.

"You see Sokka," Katara giggled, "It wasn't getting any air…"

"Oh, the air! Of course!" Sokka mocked, rolling his eyes. Frustrated, he crawled comically into his sleeping bag muttering something under his breath.

_That's my Sokka._

Katara loved teasing her older brother; he was usually wrong despite him being the elder, making it even more amusing.

The wind ceased…at last. Nighttime turned peaceful quickly when the howling winter wind stopped as Katara walked to pet sleeping Momo atop Appa's head. Appa was soon to fall asleep himself. Sokka encountered quite a difficulty getting Appa in the cave, from what he told; however, Appa soon realized it was warmer in the cave than freezing outside alone in the snow. Appa still preferred the outdoors to enclosed rooms, though, ever since the incident near Omashu.

The sun had fully set, and the only light that remained was from the campfire, whose heat gradually warmed the air around it. Katara shivered; it was getting colder by the minute. She climbed back into her furry bed after having quenched her thirst from the water pouch, exhausted still from the day before. All she desired was to sleep…even though she slept for so long already. That battle weakened her beyond what she thought possible, and Katara could still feel it in her lungs. Well…there was something else she wanted, too. She wished she and Aang could be alone together, without Sokka and Toph, and now Xùn, around…she wanted him to finish what he started to tell her. The low crackled emitted by the fire soothed her ears; her mind slowly dissolving, and her drowsiness overcoming her bit by bit. Her last thought before fading into slumber was hope…the flickering hope, that something could develop between her and her young friend…

_Please…all I want is a chance…_

Aang found it difficult to fall asleep that night; he continuously awoke, unable to sleep for very long. He came so close to unloading all his troubles…but was cut off just by happenstance. Something else looped over and over in his mind…

_What was she going to say?_

Thirsty for answers, and for a drink, Aang tossed and turned, unable to get in a comfortable position. His throat felt parched, and his neck stiff from lying down so long. He got up, restless, and stretched his arms, yawning. Aang was tired but he couldn't sleep; without another though, he walked briskly to the water flask, taking a long, generous helping of water. Feeling a little better, he decided to take a walk out in the chilly breeze.

_Maybe I just need some air…_

As he approached the exit to their cavern, Aang spied to his left what looked to be a book in Katara's bag. Looking more closely, he noticed it was the same book Katara was writing in earlier that day, the same copper-stained, leather cover. His curiosity peaked, Aang reached into the knapsack and pulled it out. There were no words on the cover, engravings, or pictures of any kind, save the word "Katara" inscribed on the first page of manuscript.

_A diary? I didn't know Katara kept a diary. I wonder what she writes about in it…_

Aang's curiosity got the best of him, and he flipped through the first few pages to what appeared to be the first entry of the journal. It was dated the day he, Katara, and Sokka, first departed for the North Pole:

"_I think he's the one! All my life I've dreamed of finding a bender to teach me, and I think Aang is the one! Gran-Gran and Sokka don't believe in him, but I do."_

_Wow, _Aang thought, _she liked me from the beginning._

Aang flipped farther into the book, to a more recent entry. He was beginning to like what he was reading, and the flashbacks were a pleasant recollection.

"_Toph is being pretty harsh with Aang…I'm not sure if she even considered my advice of 'positive reinforcement'. She doesn't know Aang like I do; he needs kind words. I hope in time they'll get along better…_

_No…_ Aang was searching for something, but he didn't know what. Maybe something like the first entry, maybe something revealing a little more of what Katara was thinking…or maybe he wanted to know how she felt about him. Aang turned a few more pages in Katara's diary, his eyes falling on the most recent, complete entry of several days ago. It began at the bottom of the right page:

"_I wish there was something I could do to help him. I've never seen him so miserable and alone today; I was about to cry myself. What is it that could possibly be bothering him so much? Why won't he tell me? Doesn't he trust me? If only I could tell him… _

_What? _Aang scanned the passage, rereading it to find his eyes were not lying. _Is she talking about me? _Lured into reading further, he eagerly turned the next page to continue. The following series of sentences were blurred… as Aang read onward, the words grew more disjointed and scribbled, and at places drops of liquid blurred a few more. He found it difficult to read the sentences, and he had to skip over a lot of what was written.

"_Why must I be tortured this way? Every time I see him my heart sinks………he needs me…… I know he'll be alright. I find myself daydreaming about s………time with……How……possibly tell Aang I love…… Four times now I dreamt of……rejection……m…ov…… Aang care no more for me than a resource to learn bending? Did he mean…nythin…that k……? …possibly love me?_

"……… _please spirits, help me find some way to tell him, to…Aang I love…………more than any……"_

Such a garbled mess…Aang closed the book silently but with frustration. He hadn't found anything in Katara's diary that suggested she liked him; rather, this passage suggested Katara liked someone else. The word after "love" started with an "h" but the rest was so poorly written. Aang was unable to read it; he couldn't even tell if it was a lowercase or capital "h." Based on what he could read, though, Aang was certain now Katara was aware of his deep crush on her, but she had been trying for some time to find a way to tell him she loved someone else.

_It starts with an "H"… Haru? She did like him a lot when they met…_

It was easy to jump to conclusions with blanks in the sentences. Rubbing his cheek on his sleeves,Aang quietly replaced the diary and returned to his bed next to the fire, sighing painfully. He curled up, back facing the fire, and closed his eyes, trying to forget what was now burned into his mind forever. The heat behind him was soothing…he would have rather it been her, though.

_Oh well…at least she likes me as a friend._

"Aang?"

Before he could drift off into despair, Katara's familiar voice surprised Aang. He jumped a little, and turned to face her; she eyed him with a caring glimpse.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess." Aang said, clearing his throat. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was, but I heard you." Katara explained, "Are you ok?"

"No…not really."

He rolled over to look at the fire now, still crackling and blazing hot. He picked up a stick and poked it gently, causing the flimsy tent of sticks to collapse into an exploding cloud of sparkling lights.

"I haven't been sleeping well lately," Aang continued, "Ever since…"

"Ever since what?"

He couldn't bring himself to say it…even though he had a chance to finish what he started; Aang's emotions were locked away once more, beating against the door to be released but unable to break through.

"It's the same thing still bothering you, isn't it?" Katara asked, Aang nodding. "Do you want to talk about it?

_I might as well end this now and see what happens…I already know what she thinks about me._

"I don't know where to begin…"

_Maybe he'll tell me what's been bothering him, now_.

Katara perked up, hopeful this would conclude his internal conflict and answer her questions as well. She crawled out of her sleeping bag, across the foyer, past the fire, and alongside Aang, slipping beside him with her arm around his shoulder. Aang, about to flat out ask Katara how she felt about him, decided at the last minute to approach it differently.

_Maybe I misread her journal…if she has no feelings for me, then why would she be so caring?_

"What was it you were going to tell me, Katara?" Aang asked

"Hmm?"

"When we were alone earlier today, and Sokka came in as I woke up."

"Oh, that…"

Katara blushed, at a loss of words. It was easier then to spill her emotions with death in sight, but now she found herself strangely mute.

"Well…I was going to say…well…"

Aang looked away, even more depressed now than previously. Now she wouldn't tell him even that, denying him that last trickle of hope that maybe there was something between them. Katara noticed his gloomy expression, though, realizing that perhaps he needed to hear it. After a minute of awkward silence, Katara ventured a question.

"Do you remember when we were alone in the cave of Omashu, and we were cut off from Sokka and the rest?"

"Yeah…"

How could he forget… it was his fondest memory.

"Well, when we were…discussing, how to get out of there, did you really find the thought of… kissing me that horrible?"

It was something Katara always wondered about…was he serious or did he simply misspeak?

"What? No, not at all!"

What a relief…she had been wrong all along to believe Aang considered it merely a "do or die" decision. Pressing it further, she asked a more…quantitative question.

"How…how _did_ you feel about it?"

The blood rushed to her face in asking, embarrassed to ask such a trivial question…but it wasn't silly to her, and she hope he didn't think so either. She prayed…desperately…that Aang didn't think it ridiculous.

_Wait…what? She's asking me this?_

Aang couldn't believe his ears…was Katara really asking him how he felt about kissing her? This was almost too good to be true!…but he had to answer her, so he did as honestly as he could.

"When you asked me if I could imagine it…I thought I could."

"You…you could?"

"Yeah…even now."

Katara blushed crimson now, flattered that Aang could imagine kissing her when their lives didn't depend on it. She admitted herself, even; she could imagine it then, as well as now. She longed for it again…and found herself edging closer to Aang as she thought this. The two friends, in close proximity, blushed profusely as they felt each other's breath on their skin, they eye's interlocked. Aang wanted to reach out with his hands and pull Katara down to him, to his lips…and tell her.

"Seal jerky…smoked salmon…stewed sea prunes…No, don't eat me!"

The sudden scream jarred Katara and Aang, causing them to whip their heads in Sokka's direction…Oh, he was just dreaming. Sokka mumbled in sleep, flailing his arms in the air before falling back into a loud, gurgling snore. Aang and Katara couldn't help giggle a little.

"Um, I think we should get to sleep."

Katara was shy to make eye contact with Aang now, mulling over his tender words…she wanted to ask more but felt embarrassed to with Sokka and Toph possibly eavesdropping.

"O-Okay, goodnight."

Still caught up what just happened, Aang struggled to break his look on Katara as she retired to bed. Feeling better about himself, Aang bid Katara a good night and crawled back under the soft covers, finding it easy now to put his mind at rest.

_Well…maybe I took what I read the wrong way…_

Katara, equally pleased, ran her hands through her hair, unbraiding it before resting her head on her pillow, watching Aang in silence.

_Maybe…maybe…_

And from a shrouded corner, Xùn watched Aang and Katara as they fell asleep, frowning and shaking his head.

_What am I doing? I should be helping them._

Trying to ignore his conscience, Xùn proceeded outside as subtly as possible, not wanting to awaken anyone. He glanced back only to see the four asleep and peaceful, only making him feel more guilty.

* * *

"_Is everything clear?"_

"_Yes, but I still don't understand this "Avatar" business."_

"_The Avatar is the harbinger of doom to our world. He will stop at nothing to destroy us all, which is why I call upon your help."_

"_If you're an 'all powerful' fire bender as you say you are, why don't you stop him?"_

"_I am no match for the Avatar. He has mastered all the elements, while I have only mastered one. You, however…you have a special talent I've never seen before."_

"_Manipulation of energy is only a branch of fire bending, sir…but I thank you for your compliments."_

"_So you have no objections?"_

"_He's just a child…how can he be of any threat to you?"_

"_A child that is more powerful than you can possibly imagine. We've seen what he can do, and fear what he plans next. He plans to invade our homes and kill us all when we are at our weakest."_

"_I'll need more information than that. I'm an assassin, and I need details. What are his weaknesses?"_

"_I see…he travels with three other companions, one of which is a he appears to care for greatly."_

"_Anything else?"_

"_The Avatar is most vulnerable in the Avatar state, where his eyes and body glow; if he can be killed then, the Avatar will cease to exist, and the world will be free for all time."_

"_What triggers it?"_

"_There is nothing written which can fully explain it, and I am not entirely sure, but I am sure one with your kind of…talent, could figure that out."_

"_That is sufficient. I think I already know what to do." _

"_You will be well paid for your services. I expect you to return with news of the Avatar's death within a few weeks. Otherwise, do not return at all, Xùn." _

"_It will be done, Lord Ozai."_

* * *

_Ohhh, I have you now… Do you want to see what happens next? I might post the next part up…if you beg me enough. _

_Kidding aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This story has been very much fun for me to write, and rewrite…and rewrite……you have no idea how many times I rewrote Chapter 1. Chapter 2 ended up perfect somehow, and I haven't touched it yet. I'm not that great at writing…but I enjoy hearing what others have to say; I just need to stop being lazy and post it up. I'm looking forward to your reviews, and I bid you all have a great week._

_And who's excited for September 21…? _

_- ChiEkku_


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